Prosecutors raided the offices of the country's culture ministry and a state-run casino operator on Saturday as part of a probe into allegations over illicit hiring.

A high-ranking official at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is suspected of having given business favors to Kangwon Land Inc. in 2013 in exchange for jobs for the official's relatives at the casino operator, according to the prosecutors.

The ministry is in charge of supervising the casino operator.

On Thursday, prosecutors also raided the parliamentary offices of two main opposition party lawmakers on allegations that they exerted pressure to close a prosecution probe into alleged unfair hiring of new workers at Kangwon Land. (Yonhap)